DEATH MAGNETIC

DEATH MAGNETIC is an investiture of METALLICA to try recompose themselves after their previous three failures. They attempt to revive the aggressivity of the good ole days and quit this neo-thrash stuff they've been plugging out, and while they manage to do so, the result is uninteresting.

I've been a thrash fan for quite a good time, but even that can't make me... enjoy this. It definitively sounds pleasantly aggressive - as one would expect from the Masters of MASTER OF PUPPETS or the thunderstriking RIDE THE LIGHTNING - but bland. The tracks don't have an identity, they feel like generic riffs put together, some crappy solo sections (Kirk is really doing poorly here) and standard gritty or dark thrash lyrics.

Still, not all is lost.

All Nightmare Long is a violent, thoroughly interesting and well-done track (even LARS doesn't suck here!) where even HETFIELD's dwindling vocals are sturdy and fitting (to be fair, HETFIELD used it masterfully in the 80's - no problem by the 00's they're bad). Kirk's solo bridge is amazing, one of my favorite METALLICA riffs to be honest. Perhaps one of their best current works.

Cyanide is a less brilliant track, but it's still a good one. The guitar & drums intro is nice, the main riff & bridge is a good blend of the neo-thrash & old-school thrash, and the chorus is one hell of a headbanging material. HETFIELD sounds absolutely terrific on it. The solo isn't big stuff, though.

Suicide and Redemption is a ten minutes long instrumental song (oh, METALLICA, you really like to pretend to be prog when you bring those instrumental songs don't you?) that features several good riffs and fine solos. I haven't given it much attention, but it seems fine material.

The other tracks are just... meh.

Oh, and if you're looking for progressive here, just forget it. Exactly whence I'm rating this two stars. There are very few, scarce moments of clarity you can milk a little of it, but in general, there's just some few good thrash material here. And by "a few" I mean "two stars a few". (Quality-wise: 6/10)

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